Gold-separating machine



Dec. 21 1926. 1,611,603

L. W. MACK Filed May 6 1925 1 L ass-1 WMank Dec. 21.1926. -l,611,603-

L. W. MACK GOLD SEPARATING MACHINE Filed May 6 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lu Gm Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES,-

PATENT 'o-F-Fic-E.

LESSLEY W. MACK, 0 VAN NORMAN, MONTANA.

GOLD-SEPARATINGV MACHINE.

Application filed May 6, 1925. Serial No.- 28,429.

This invention relates to improvements in means for separating precious metals from Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved apparatus.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus. 1 I

Figure 3 is a plan View of the housing of the apparatus with the cover removed, showing the novel path of travel of the materials from which the precious metal is to be reclaimed.

Figure 4; is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 14= ofFigure .1. Figure 5 is a. fragmentary View, partly in section, showing that part of the apparatus bv which the ore mass is fed into the improved device.

Figure (3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the gold receiving receptacle, with the lid open. v

In the drawings, wherein for thepurpose of illustration is-shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved apparatus, which may include the housing B, and

ore feed means C.

Referrmg to the houslng or casing B, the same preferably comprises the body portlon 10; platform 11; and detachable closure 12.

The platform 11 is preferably fiat, andv adapted to be supported upwardly of a ground or floor surface 13, as by means of substantially angle shaped supporting legs 15, whiclrmay be attached in any approved manner to the platform 11, so that the latter may behorizontally supported in spaced relation above the surface 13. This platform 11 is in'iperforate except for an opening 17, which is substantially circular, and through which the precious metal is adapted to pass after the same has been pneumatically sepw rated and segregated,fromthe ore'mass in the body 10, and through which opening 17 the gold or other precious metal fallsinto a receiving receptacle 18 to be subsequently described.

The body portion 10 is preferably formed of substantially parallel spaced walls to provide a channel or way throughwhich the blast of. air travels. .The channel is closed at its lower portion bytheplatformll, and at its upper portionbythe detachable cover '12, which is flat substantially the same as the platform 11. The body. portion 10 preferably includes the substantially parallel inlet wall portions 20 and .21, having a .way 22 therebetween, which is preferablystraight, and slightly inclined at an acute angleto the vertical, substantially as is, illustrated in Figure 2 ofthe drawings, in order to place the inlet way 22in tangential relationto the spiralpassageway 23. which is formed in the body 10. At the entrance to the way 23,

the same is enlarged at 24, by recessing the walls 20 and 21 in concave manner as is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of. thedrawings. Contiguous with the wall 20a downwardly convergent sloping spiral wall 25 is formed, whichconnects at 27 Withithe-wall' 21. From the juncture point 27 of the spiral sloping wall 25 with the end ofthe wall,

21, aspiral tongue 30 is formed, inspiraling and sloping relation inthe space within the spiral wall 25 above mentioned, and preferably parallel, with the spiral wall25; the.

tongue 30 preferably terminating at 31, with its edge tangentially arranged with the openin 17. The spiral wallor tongue 3(listhus so placed with respect to the wall 21 that the latter, is tangential thereto. In this manner the slopingspiral walls 25'and 30 are in effect contiguous from the straight walls 20 and 21, so that .the latter are tangential thereto, Thesespiral walls; 25 and 30provide a spiral Way 23, which is of uniform height throughout its length, and oflthe same height as the inlet way 22 The. inside surfaces 33 of. the spiral Walls 25 m" 30 slope downwardly in. convergent relation toward the base or platformfll, ,and the facing,

sloping surface 34c at the outer sideof the wall 30 is preferably parallel yvith tlie surface 33, and therewith provides the spiral.

way23 which is ofuniform width throughnut; its length, as well. as ofuniform height,

The way 23 spirals from the entrance 22 trmards the outlet opening 1?.

The closure 12 is preferably flat, and is provided with laterally extending attaching ears 86, adapted for cooperation with lugs 37 provided at the exterior of the body wall 25, for receiving securing bolts or elements 38 by means of which to attach the closure or cover 12 to enclose the inlet and spiral ways 22 and 23 at the top thereof. This closure 12 is preferably provided with an opening in the same, considerably larger than the opening 17, and in aligning relation with the opening 17. The opening 40 has the edges thereof beveled so that they slope in one direction; the opening to hav ing the lower edge thereof preferably lying flush with the inner edge of the spiral wall or tongue 30, as is illustrated in Figure a; of the drawings. The opening 40 has the edge thereof really inclined towards a horizontal duct or way 11, through which the refuse and worthless materials pass; the said duct.- -it1 being formed by a substantially U-shaped iii-ember 42, which is adapted for bolting or attachment as at 18 upon the top member 12, and the inner end of which guide member 12 is closed, so that the materials passing through the opening 10 must of necessity travel along the duct 41 and be so conveyed to any desirable exit location.

The source of air has not been shown, but it is to be understood that the same may be a blower fan, or analogous means for producing the blast or pneumatic draft; it being understood that this blower or other means for producing the blast of air is connected at the edge of the body 10, so that the air first travels into the body 10 through the enlarged portion 24. of the channel way 32.

The improved feed means C is preferably located upon the closure or top member 12 of the housing B, between the source of the air blast and the spiral channel 23.

The feeder construction C preferably is of the closed valve type, and the same includes a casing 55, which is bolted, as at 56, or otherwise secured upon the top member 12, and provides the substantially circular compartment 58 therein within which the feeding valve 60 is rotatably mounted. The casing upwardly therein provides the inlet opening 61, and. supports the hopper ($2 thereover, into which the materials are fed. The top member 12 or closure of the body of the casing B is provided with a feed opening 66 therein, through which the materials are fed by means of the valve into the channel or way 22 between the source of air blast and the spiral way 23. The valve or feed member 60 is preferably of cylindrical formation, rotatably supported upon a horizontal shaft 67 in the compartment 58 provided therefor. It is provided with a Pll1.

rality of radially extending pockets TO, which are narrow, although as d up as need be,'and which are of such width that the same cannot be in communication with the openings 61 and at the same time. The valve 60 snugly tits in the opening 58, to permit its rotation, but preventing the blast of air passing into the hopper (32.

Referring to the method which is carried out by functioning of the apparatus, A, the fan (not shown), is of course set in operation, to force a blast of air into the way 22, and around the spiral way 23 and upwardly through the opening 10 and through the exit duct 11. The mass of ore is force fed thru the hopper 62, by the valve (30, and in regulated quantities dropped from above into the blast of air passing along the way 22, and has an opportunity to be t ioronghly distributed in the blast of air. The matc rials are then whirled along the way 22, and enter the spiral way 23. Incident to the sloping wall 333, the materials rolling therealong will have an opportunity to separate, incident to variance in specific gravitics. and the heavier precious metal will roll downwardly over the sloping surface 33, and as end of the travel of the same along the spiral way terminates at the opening 17, the precious metals pass downwardly into the receptacle 18. On the other hand, the lighter particles, such as sand, gravel, dry dirt, and crushed stone incident to the well regulated blast of air, which is just sutiieient to keep the same in suspension, will pass along the sloping wall 83, and after the same has traveled along the spiral way 23, the said worthless particles in suspension will be carried through the beveled opening 10, into the exit duct 41, and will pass to any suitable lOCt tion.

The precious metal collector 18 is really in the form of a hollow frusto-conical receptacle, which at its upper restricted end is secured at 81 below the platform 11, and with the COHIPZHTIUGHt 82 communieating with the opening 17. At its larger and exit end the receptacle 18 supports the disc-shaped closure 83, which is eccentrically pivoted as at 84, so that the same may be swung to close the compartment 82, or swung laterally to open the compartment 82, as is illustrated in Figure 6.

From the foregoing description of this invention it will be apparent that a novel apparatus has been provided for reclaiming gold from ore. It is to be particularly noted that the spiral channel is located in a horizontal plane, and the same is of uniform height and width throughout, with the walls sloping in converging relation to the vertical. In this manner the blast of air may be regulated, and the ore is uniformly treated, and does away with the eccentric eddies which would otherwise occur. The air curloo Ill)

reri eo'arcnt takes place througl'iout'the entire height of the spiral way. and incident to the uni- 'l'ormity of the spiral way, the blast of air continues at a-pproxin'iately the same velocity up to the point of final segregation of the precious metals from the other worthless materials.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangei'i'ien t of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described a housing having a spiral channel therein of substantially uniform width and height throughout the length thereof, said spiral channel having sloping walls and a precious metal exit opening at the convergent point of the wall and an opposite worthless mate rial exit opening, and means for feeding materials into the spiral channel.

2. In apparatus for pneumatically separating precious metals from other foreign materials the combination of a housing hav ing a spiral way therethrough with an entrance opening at the edge of the spiral way and centrally disposed precious metal exit and worthless material exit openings at the opposite ends of the spiral. way, said spiral way having facing walls which slope at an incline to the vertical in convergent relation towards the precious metal exit opening.

3. In apparatus for pneumatically separating precious metals from other foreign materials the combination of a housing having a spiral way therethrough with an entrance opening at the edge of the spiral way and centrally disposed precious metal exit and worthless material exit Openings at the opposite end of the spiral way, said spiral way having. a wall which slopes at an incline to the vertical in convergent relation towards the precious metal exit opening, and said spiral way being of uniform width and height throughout the length of the same.

4-. In apparatus for pneumatically separating precious metals from other materials a housing having a spiral channel therein of uniform dimension throughout the length thereof, said spiral channel having a tan gcntial inlet opening and centrally disposed precious metal and worthless material exit openings.

5. In apparatus for pneumatically separating precious metals from other materials a housing having a spiral channel therein of uniform dimensions throughout the length thereof, said spiral channel having a tangcntial inlet opening and centrally disposed precious metal and worthless material openings, said spiral channel having facing side wall surfaces sloping uniformly atan incline to the vertical towards the precious metal exit: opening.

channel to "the spiral channel, means f'or feeding a blast" of air into the entrance chan nel, meansfor downwardly feedinga quantity of mixed precious metals and other foreign .materials into the blast of air traveling through the entrance channel, said housing at the central end of said spiral channel providing upper and lower openings for the respective exit of worthless and precious metals.

7. Apparatus of the class described co1nprising a supporting base having a precious metal exit opening therein, a top having a worthless metal exit opening therein larger than the first mentioned opening, and a body between the bottom and top including a pair of spaced arcuated walls disposed in substantially parallel relation to provide a channel shaped spiral way into which a blast of air is adapted to be fed, said walls terminating so that the central end of the spiral Way terminates at the openings above mentioned, and means for. feeding mixed precious metals and other materials into the inlet end of the spiral way.

8. Apparatus for the separating of materials comprising a housing having vertically sloping walls defining a horizontal passageway including a plurality of convolutions all. of which are disposed in the same horizontal plane and of the same height in said horizontal plane, means for tangentially feeding a precious metal laden body of air tangentially into the outer end of the passageway, and means providing an upper worthless material exit opening at the center of the spiral way and a lower precious metal exit opening at the lower end of the spiral way.

9. Apparatus of the class described comprising a housing including arcuated spaced walls arranged. in the same horizontal plane, the walls having spaced surfaces to provide a spiral way between the facing surfaces thereof including a plurality of convolutions all disposed in the same horizontal plane and of the same height in said horizontal plane, the said surfaces of the walls which form the spiral way sloping downwardly to converge the spiral Way from the upper end thereof downwardly so that the convolutions of the spiral way at the upper ends thereof are greater in dimension from side to side than at the lower end thereof, the convolutions terminating at substantially the central axis defined by said spiral passageway to provide a substantially funnel-shaped compartment at the central axis of said spiral passageway, means covering the upper end of said spiral passageway and having a central opening therein for the compartment as a means for exit of worthless materials which do not fall downwardly ever the sloping surfaces of the walls which provide the spiral way, hase means on which the walls rest and closing the lower end of said spiral passageway and at the lower end of said central compartment providing a reduced exit opening smaller than the exit opening above inentioned for-diseliarge of precious materials from the spiral passageway, and means for feeding a blast of air with precious metals 10 supported therein tangentially into the spiral passageway.

LESSLEY XV. MACK. 

